Woman gunned down by police 'wrote plan about being shot dead in her diary days earlier'

Shot: Ann Sanderson was filmed walking around aiming what appeared to be a gun at CCTV cameras in Sevenoaks, Kent

A woman shot dead by police had written days before in her diary about being killed in a shooting.

Ann Sanderson was killed by a single shot to the right side of her chest when brandishing an airgun at police, an inquest has heard.

The last entry of her diary - 'My thoughts, my feelings, my fears' - was a 'plan' about being shot and killed.

Opening the inquiry into Miss Sanderson's death Catherine Milsom, counsel to the inquest, said: 'The last entry was made in June 2007, it said that she had a story planned out that resulted in her being shot.'

Days later Miss Sanderson, known as 'Tosh' to friends, was killed by Officer A who believed she was about to open fire at them as she had previously written about doing so.

Yesterday a hushed courtroom, including her partner Tracy Sumner, was played CCTV footage documenting the last two hours of Miss Sanderson's life on 11 June 2007.

The hooded 37-year-old, from Sevenoaks, Kent, was seen drinking from a beer bottle, and taking tablets whilst pointing an airgun at cameras in the town centre at 1.20am.

Dressed in dark-coloured clothes including a baseball cap she set alight a large wheelie bin, then slumped to the floor propped up against a wall, and phoned a close friend. The call was diverted to voicemail, and she left a message saying she had started a fire.

She then fell asleep for 44 minutes, but police did not approach her as she still had the gun in her hand with her finger on the trigger and they were worried she was 'seconds away from firing'.

When she finally woke up and started stumbling around three police cars cornered her.

Miss Sanderson swore at the gun-carrying officers, and pointed the weapon at them. She was killed by a single bullet to her chest.

Mrs Milsom told Gravesend Coroner's Court: 'She aimed the handgun at the officers and the officers' evidence is that they felt under threat. Officer A fired one bullet which blew 'Tosh' out of the shot of the CCTV and the officers. The officers attended first aid and an ambulance attended, but she died at 3.10am.'

She added: 'She was known to local police in the district and council officers as she had a habit to walk through Sevenoaks High Street late at night or in the early hours of the morning.'

But the CCTV operator, Patricia Parselle, was concerned that night to see she was armed with a gun, and carrying a small pocket knife.

She told police: 'I have watched her for years and I have never seen her like this. She's definitely pointing what appears to be a handgun at the cameras and has been taking pills.'

A firearms team were sent to the carpark she was prowling around.

Inspector Mick Millen, the 'silver commander' in charge of the operation that night radioed one of the officers to warn 'she is waiting for us'.

Mrs Milsom said: ''Tosh 'continued to walk around the streets of Sevenoaks and the CCTV footage shows her drinking from a beer bottle and consuming tablets from a blister pack. She continued to hold what looked like a handgun in her right hand and was making gestures to the CCTV cameras.'

A post-mortem examination found alcohol and ibuprofen in her blood.

Jurors heard when she been arrested four years previously for arson, officers found a diary in her home which said she wanted to kill a policeman.

The inquest heard Miss Sanderson had been confronted by police in the early hours exactly a week earlier as she had been sitting in the same high street in her silver Ford Fiesta 'acting strangely', and refusing to speak to officers, instead staring ahead. She left after 10 minutes.

She had a police record with warning markers for arson, criminal damage and drugs supply and use in 1999.